Algeria and Tunisia secure World Cup spots as Africa’s qualifiers near conclusion

Algeria and Tunisia confirmed their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Thursday’s fixtures in the penultimate round of African qualifiers produced decisive results across several groups.

In Group F, Kenya edged Burundi 1-0 in a tightly contested encounter to climb to 12 points.

Despite the victory, the result did little to alter the top of the table, where Ivory Coast lead with 20 points, followed closely by Gabon on 19.

The Gambia and Burundi are level on 10 points, while Seychelles remain bottom without a point.

Group G saw Algeria underline their dominance with a commanding 3-0 victory over Somalia, ensuring their progression to the 2026 World Cup with an unassailable 22 points.

Uganda continued their impressive run, defeating Botswana 1-0 to move up to 18 points, keeping their faint hopes of qualification alive.

In the same group, Guinea came from behind to record a hard-fought 2-1 away win against Mozambique, a result that pushed them to 14 points and left Mozambique just ahead on 15.

Botswana, with 9 points, and Somalia, with a single point, round off the standings.

In Group H, Liberia earned a crucial 3-1 win over Namibia, boosting their total to 14 points and reigniting their battle for second place.

The fixture between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea was cancelled, leaving both nations stuck on 10 points.

Tunisia, however, remain comfortably on top with 22 points and have already secured their ticket to the World Cup.

Namibia stay second with 15 points despite their setback, while Sao Tome and Principe sit bottom without a point.

The results leave most of the major qualification battles settled ahead of the final round of matches.

Algeria and Tunisia have both booked their spots for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while other nations continue to fight for remaining places through the final matchday.

With Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Uganda still mathematically in contention for further qualifying rounds, the final fixtures promise high stakes and drama as African nations look to secure their passage to world football’s grandest stage.

As Thursday’s action concluded, the standings reflected both dominance and disappointment — with giants like Algeria and Tunisia asserting their strength, while smaller nations such as Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe face early elimination.